Breathe
by unanymousdeen
Summary: Ygritte gives him strength in more ways than one and Jon Snow wouldn't know where he'd be without her. Alternate ending to the Battle of Castle Black. JonxYgritte. Jon/Ygritte. Multi-chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Jon Snow walked past the rubble and burned bodies, stepping over ash and whatever was left of the once prosperous hold of Winterfell.

He wished he had known.

He wished he could've fought back whoever destroyed his home.

Jon gazed at the destruction, unsure of when his heart would stop twisting and turning in his chest over all the faces he recognized. He remembered all these fallen people and what great citizens they once were. Honest people. Good people. They didn't deserve to die.

He thought about his brothers Brandon and Rickon.

Jon pursed his lips, searching the damage for their little bodies. He prayed their lives did not share the same outcome as Robb. He prayed that they were okay and maybe, just maybe, wherever they escaped to was keeping them safe.

_Why hadn't I known?_

Jon felt her hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. He turned his head.

Ygritte's expression was unreadable, though her vibrant blue eyes spoke for themselves. She would never show it but the woman cared. It was through her gaze that his heart seemed to loosen slightly from the tug of the strain.

Jon gazed back towards his surroundings.

Ygritte narrowed her eyes and swiftly turned her head around, the movement surprising her partner as she slipped her bow around her fingers. The woman felt another pair of eyes watching from a distance. Someone was standing at the front gates.

Jon turned away from what gave him so much despair. His eyes nearly watered.

He hadn't seen Arya for a year now.

"Jon?" The young girl's voice broke, her eyes dampening at the sight of her brother she loved so dearly. It had been so long since she'd seen a familiar face.

Arya did not have to run far when she saw his smile.

Jon didn't have time to kneel before his sister leap into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. Gods, had she missed him.

He ran a gloved hand over her short hair, thanking everything that she was safe and had stumbled across him on whatever journey it was she had embarked.

"I had to see Winterfell for myself." She mumbled into his shoulder before pulling away to face him. "I had to see what they had done to our home."

"Who did this?" Jon asked, tilting his head as he rested his hands on her shoulders. Her height had not gone unnoticed.

"Theon and his army of idiots." Arya grumbled. Her expression had suddenly shifted. "You…didn't know?" She asked, eyebrows knitting together.

Jon sighed. "No."

Ygritte had since abandoned her bow, deciding this girl was no threat to her partner. She'd faltered somewhat at the sight of their embrace.

Arya's eyes turned towards the red-haired woman at her brother's side, growing curious. "Who is this?"

Jon followed her gaze. The smile he sported before quickly returned. "Ygritte. We've been traveling together for quite a while now."

Snow's gaze turned towards his lover. "Ygritte, this is my sister, Arya. I haven't seen her in gods knows how long."

Both women had not said anything to each other in their encounter. They shared looks, contemplating the fire in the other's eyes and deciding whether or not they'd be worth each other's time.

The lack of trust radiated like the sun on a hot summer day.

Arya did not know what to think of Ygritte.

Ygritte could never trust anyone easily.

Arya turned back towards her brother. "We should find somewhere to sleep. It's getting dark."

* * *

_At least this place didn't burn like everything else._

Arya ran her fingers along the cold, black wall, wisps of ash grazing her fingertips. The front door was forever lost but the interior seemed to hold well. There were no signs of any extensive damage that could pose a threat.

Briefly, Arya wondered if there was anyone taking shelter here.

She quickly dismissed the thought, turning her head in a new direction.

Jon and Ygritte were lagging behind.

She had a feeling they were more than just friends given how close Jon liked to walk beside Ygritte. Their hands nearly touched with every step.

And it wasn't like any of it had bothered her. Clearly her brother had grown accustomed to this woman's presence and if he felt this comfortable around her, Arya might let her guard down. Maybe.

"These rooms are intact." Arya says, peering around the doorframe. "I can sleep in a different room. Or if you want to stay together, I can sleep on the floor."

Jon peered inside, noticing only two beds somewhat scattered about. "I can use my furs as a mattress and sheet. You need more rest than I."

Ygritte walked about, still silent as ever.

Jon wonders if something is bothering her.

He patted Arya's shoulder. "Get settled. We're spending the night."

Jon stood, glancing towards Ygritte. She looked at him with pursed lips.

She knew what his gaze meant.

Arya simply watched their interaction. She'd find a way to listen in on their conversation.

* * *

She watches Jon pull Ygritte into the lobby of the inn, finding a corner across the room to keep to themselves.

"Are you okay?" He asks after looking around to ensure they were alone.

Ygritte turns her head away. "You sure it's safe to 'ave her around?"

"She's my sister. I trust Arya with my life."

Ygritte chews on the inside of her cheek.

"How are _you_ feeling?" Jon leans closer.

At his hint of her situation, Ygritte's hand moves to rest against the swell of her belly. It had become a habit she'd engaged in often.

Her furs kept her circumstance concealed and Arya catches a glimpse of the communication.

She cringed at the thought of Jon hesitating to tell her something she figures is probably very important. Why wouldn't he want to tell her?

Ygritte doesn't wish to talk about the child. "Aren't you going to tell her?"

Jon looks down. "I don't know…I shouldn't worry about what she'll think. It kills me to say that."

Ygritte grabs his chin and forces him to look her in the eye. "I don't care what you do Jon Snow, but it won't change what's going to happen." She raises her chin just a bit. "And you know that."

(Jon regards her last phrase and finds it humorous, as she always tells him he knows nothing. But Snow holds his tongue because he knows she's being serious.)

"You're lucky they let ya leave the Wall."

(He discerns such to be very true.)

"But that doesn't matter anymore." Her fingers leave his chin. "You're a free man now."

Jon leans in enough to leave a sweet kiss on her lips. Ygritte blushes, slightly taken aback by the action but accepts it.

Arya smiles around the corner and heads back towards her room.

Perhaps she can find some trust in this red-haired woman who had managed to capture her brother's heart.

* * *

Jon comes into the room later that night and Arya expects he'll probably talk about what she overheard earlier.

Ygritte isn't with him.

"Arya, I need to tell you somethi—"

"I know." She cuts in. "I snuck up on you."

Jon's eyes start racing around the room and Arya sees him begin to panic.

"Don't worry, I don't mind at all." She says nonchalantly, playing around with Needle. "I thought it was sweet."

Jon still doesn't know how to respond.

Arya sighs and lightly kicks her feet over the edge of the bed, sitting up. She smiles as she says, "Why did you decide to wait to tell me I was going to be an auntie?"

Jon grins. "I thought you'd try to kill me. I'm bringing another bastard into the world after all."

Arya's eyebrows furrow as she stands. "I don't care and it doesn't seem like _she_ does either."

"Because she doesn't."

"Does it matter?"

"I don't want my children to be teased as I was."

"I was teased because I'm a girl. Everyone gets badgered."

"You don't know what it's like to be a bastard."

"No, I guess I don't—"

"You're constantly shamed by others—"

"Who cares?" Arya cuts in again. "You don't have to listen. You're better than them."

Jon doesn't say anything before moving towards his sister, enveloping her in a hug. "You're wiser beyond your years, you know that?" He ruffles her hair.

* * *

Ygritte later asks him outside by the fire how it went.

"She already knew. Snuck up on us while we were talking." He chuckles.

Ygritte nods approvingly. "I knew it."

Jon spares her a glance. "How?"

"Nothing gets past me."

"Except that arrow."

The moment he spoke Jon had instantly regret his words. Ygritte sent him a cold glare.

"We're really going to do this now?"

Jon notices both her hands are over her belly and he reaches out to place his left palm over her right. "I'm always going to fight you, aren't I?" He smirks.

Ygritte wants to slap that smug look off of his face. "I could kill you if I wanted to."

"I know." Jon glances back towards the fire, curling his fingers around hers. "I know."

* * *

The following morning, Arya decides to finally talk to Ygritte after Jon flees to find somewhere to piss.

"Can I feel it?" She asks curiously.

Ygritte looks up at her with knit eyebrows. "Feel what?"

"Your stomach."

She finds that she doesn't quite understand what Arya is trying to do. "Why?"

"Babies kick, don't they?"

The wilding looks away. "I'm not there yet." Her hands find the bump, cradling it with her fingers. She decides, after a brief silence, that some minor details wouldn't kill her if she revealed them.

"Sometimes I feel 'im move."

This makes Arya smile.

* * *

Jon wonders why Ygritte has been so quiet.

Usually the woman was boisterous, loud and full of wonder for the world around her. It was not until their arrival at Winterfell that she had become somewhat distant, even towards the man she loved.

He thought it might have been Arya's presence that bothered, but Ygritte never changed the way she acted because of those nearby.

"Ygritte," he approaches her in the afternoon. "Are you alright?"

She turns to him for only a second, eyes not giving away enough. "I'm fine." She says somewhat bitterly.

Jon wonders if it's something he did wrong.

He reaches out for her hand to see if she'll take it, and he isn't surprised to find that she does.

"Are you sure?"

Ygritte turns to him again and meets his eyes. "I don't know what I'm feeling." She says a little louder this time.

A silence cuts between them with Ygritte clearly hesitant to share her emotions. She was never the woman to complain or ever speak up about how she feels. To have her confess as much as she did was a rare sight.

Jon leans in to kiss her and Ygritte eagerly responds. He tangles his fingers in her fiery hair, kissing her over and over and _over_ again until he's sure she feels his love because she of all people doesn't deserve anything less.

* * *

Three days after running into Arya and seeing what was left of Winterfell, Jon Snow proposed that they all should keep moving.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Arya asks.

Jon looks off to the side, shrugging. "We could go to White Harbor since House Manderly is your ally. You are a Stark Arya," he gestures. "They'll listen to you. Maybe they'll help us rebuild Winterfell if you can convince them we will repay our debts."

"_Me_?" Arya's eyes widen. "I'm not even the next heir."

"You're still alive. And you have many allies that would be willing to help. Many owe your family a great debt."

* * *

**There's the pilot! I'm definitely going to keep this moving, but the next chapter won't be out for a couple of days. It will have a lot more JonxYgritte fluff though, so I'm excited to get it finished up!**

**There aren't enough ****JonxYgritte stories out there, let alone baby ones and I've just been so inspired by this ship and show lately. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it!**  


**Please message me or leave any of your opinions, criticisms, ideas, demands, and feels down below! I will get back to all of you as soon as I can!**

**Thank you for reading! xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Man, sorry about the wait guys. Literally a couple days after I posted the last chapter, I ended up the victim in a pretty bad car accident and my ride was wrecked. It's been a couple weeks now and we're still dealing with repairs and insurance, all the sweet stuff. I spent several days recovering from my injuries and then right after I started feeling better enough to function like a normal human, college started up and I've been bombarded with my studies. I have been writing little bits here and there so hopefully this chapter isn't too much of a let down. I know I promised you guys a new ****chapter and I was ready to post what I had, but stuff just went down the drain. I hope you guys don't hate me :)**

**Anyways, here goes nothing. Short and sweet. The next chapter will be longer and have more what-not going on. And fluff. Much fluff, too. Yes, very. **

**Thanks for your patience :)**

* * *

Ygritte is too stubborn to take the horse.

She keeps reminding Jon that she's been traveling her whole life and didn't need any help. She was perfectly content moving on her own.

"If you ask me again," she threatens, "I'll break your legs. And then we'll see who needs the horse."

Jon snickers because he knows he won't ever get to take care of her.

Arya pats the horse on his muzzle, chuckling at the pair ahead of her. Ygritte had come to grow on Arya. The woman was sharp, quick and very amusing.

* * *

They stop to camp at night.

The group had decided they were going to travel near the river that leads directly to White Harbor. Arya mentioned that they should stay far enough from the stream to still see it, but ways away to keep from any potential trouble. Everyone agrees. It's best to travel in the trees than out in the open.

And when Ygritte spots a deer uphill and goes after it, Jon doesn't stop her.

She returns with the animal's back legs tied together, hauling it behind her with a smirk.

"I found us a meal."

After a carnivore's meal-for-three, Arya's eyelids started to droop. With a belly full and mind at ease, she lies down on her palette and finally closes her eyes. Watching the campsite was Jon's responsibility today.

Said man was stuffed himself, letting out a puff of air and leaning back into his palms. "I can't eat anymore."

Ygritte, still well into her meal, would probably eat most of the deer. Her appetite had picked up drastically after those past few months of relentless sickness. Now, she was constantly hungry and ate whenever she could.

Ygritte's gaze didn't falter elsewhere. The meat was cooked just right and she wouldn't-couldn't-shouldn't put it down.

Jon quietly laughs.

"Do you remember," he starts, scooting over next to Ygritte, "when you thought that one windmill was a palace?"

She rolls her eyes. "This again?"

"Wait until we get to White Harbor. It's not the most beautiful city, but it's got tall towers and thousands of trading posts." Jon smirks.

Ygritte's eyebrows furrow as she turns to him. "Are we makin' plans to live there?"

"Well, we might have to for a little while. It would be better for us to stay put while Winterfell is being rebuilt…if it gets rebuilt."

She turns away now, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She felt sick again. The thought of assimilating with the Northerners made her very uncomfortable. For the past several weeks she's been traveling with Jon, Ygritte hadn't felt entirely homesick because they were not confined to one particular area. Whenever they stepped foot was their home for the day and she found that this could've been something she would get used to.

"You don't like it." He reads her like a book.

Ygritte purses her lips. She turns back to him after contemplating her decision. "Just for a while?"

Jon smiles and twines their hands together. "Just for a while."

"So what happens when you get Winterfell back?"

"Well," Jon turns more towards Ygritte and sports his signature smile, "I was hoping you would come with me."

She doesn't know what to say.

"We could have our own home. We'd live somewhere safe; somewhere we could raise our child." He takes her other hand in his. "Someplace we could call our own."

Ygritte contemplates this. She really doesn't know what to think. Never before in her entire life had she ever held something for herself, ever claimed land or ever technically wrote her name on property. She was never accustomed to not sharing things with everyone else. As much as the idea of being with Jon Snow excited her, she didn't quite understand how she felt about adjusting to a new life. But, she was willing to do anything for him, even if it meant breaking off from the only customs she's ever known. She was willing to do so when she laid her eyes on Snow in the Battle of Castle Black. Ygritte just couldn't help but still feel some sense of loyalty and duty to her people.

"I think you'll enjoy it. Perhaps not at first, but I know how you are." He smirks.

Ygritte chuckles. "Is that so?"

"You hated me at first. But I think you like me now."

She smirks again, shaking her head. "You want me to live with you in your pretty palace and wear little dresses and make lemon cakes like your sisters?"

"And go hunting with me?"

Ygritte leans in and says quietly, "I'd bring ya home on me back."

He chuckles, touching his forehead to hers. No one could every replace Ygritte. No one.

* * *

Later that night, when Jon leans against the trunk of a nearby tree to take his watch, Ygritte decides she should intervene and rises from her palette. She walks over to him and, without warning, positions herself right in-between his legs. Jon chuckles, touching his chin to her left shoulder. His hands travel down her arms, their fingers meeting on her belly before he leaves a kiss on the curve of her neck. Ygritte smiles, contempt with with where they were. She didn't mind his affection when there was no one around to watch them.

Arya was probably listening and _not_ sleeping like she should be. Ygritte figured her out that much.

"How are you feeling?" Jon asks quietly.

She feels a light nudge from her belly and looks down with a small grin. "Better."

Jon smiles, sharing her glance. "What do you feel now?"

Ygritte gently flicks his hands to give him the idea because she's terrible at describing with words. "And sometimes," she continues, trailing her finger down his hand, "like that."

Jon chuckles softly, smoothing a palm down her bump. He wishes he could feel what she feel. He wishes he could sense the life inside her move around and wiggle every minute of the day. In a way, Jon Snow is jealous.

"I envy you."

Ygritte's eyebrows furrow. "Why?"

"You get to feel everything and I don't. I'm only watching." Snow's smile falls.

She places a hand over his. "Give 'im time. He will be stronger for you, I promise."

Jon touches his head to her's in response. "How much longer is he going to torture me?"

Ygritte chuckles. She feels her baby kick again at the sound of Jon's voice. "Not much longer."

He laughs softly.

For a while, everything seems okay.

"So, you're really content on our baby being a boy?" Snow asks.

"Yeah." Ygritte never loses her smile.

"What makes you think so?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Gut-feeling, I guess."

"Did you ever think about names?"

"Free folk don't name—"

"I know that." Jon cuts in. "But it's never come to you as a thought? You never imagined just because _you_ wanted to?"

Ygritte shrugs again. "Maybe I 'ave. Maybe I 'aven't."

Jon expected more from her answer. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

* * *

**If you guys have any ideas/comments, etc. and wanna share with me personally, throw them in my PM box. I'd love to hear from you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): Just a quick note: I changed Ygritte's outfit for the alternation in seasons. Remember Osha and what she wore when she was traveling with Bran, Rickon and Hodor? Yeah, it's pretty close to that.**

**And I wasn't really happy with the last chapter. This one is a direct continuation of it, though, and I might've repeated some words and phrases because I thought they fit better here than in Chapter 2. **

**And I totally FORGOT that Ghost existed! I'm so sorry guys! I included him in this chapter, though. Pretend like he's always been there ^.^**

**This chapter is significantly longer, thank heavens for that. Hopefully it makes more sense! Excuse any errors you come across.**

**I pray that you all enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it! For a while, I was so uninspired. But something hit me today and I ended up piling 2,000 words+ onto one document and I'm super happy with how everything came together! I can't wait to start Chapter 3 tomorrow!**

**P.S - There is a flashback in the middle of the chapter. It's purpose is just a random reflection Ygritte happens to stumble upon in her busy mind when she thinks about her emotional state early on with baby.**

* * *

He wakes in the morning to the scent of her hair tickling his nose.

When he lifts his eyes and sees she's wrapped in his arms, Jon Snow realizes he fell asleep during his watch.

_Seven Hells_, he mutters under his breath and looks around for Arya.

She's still sleeping on her palette.

What of their belongings? The horse? Ghost?

Nothing is missing. Nothing is out of place.

Jon's head lightly bumps against the trunk as he sighs, closing his eyes once more and thanking the gods that all is well. Too much could've gone wrong in his slumber and Jon vows over and over again in his mind to never pull that stunt again.

And yet, he couldn't help succumbing to the slumber. Ygritte was still warm against his chest.

He smiles and gently touches his temple to hers. She doesn't stir when their fingers join or when his breath grazes her cheek.

All he can think about is how lovely she feels so close to him without her thick winter furs. Alongside the promise of spring came new clothes, and in spite of the shifting seasons, spring never was that much warmer than winter in the North. It was enough for anyone to shed their pelts, though.

He admired Ygritte's new look. Much like the wildlings close to the Wall, she wore at least two long tunics—one black long-sleeve and one brownish-green, armholes cut at the shoulders—and a somewhat thin, long-sleeved linen undershirt. The pants were always there; no argument against that. Back in Winterfell, she wore a dark cloak with wool accents that he'd purchased for her in one of the local trading towns on the King's Road. But, as they closed in on White Harbor, the temperature grew more forgiving.

As for him and Arya, not much has changed since they both left Winterfell one year ago.

Jon happens to notice that the ends of the string around Ygritte's waist were almost two inches closer to the knot than a couple weeks ago.

He chuckles silently from his nose, looping one of the ties around his index finger. Their child was growing.

Ghost is still at his feet, tail whacking the ground in repeated rhythms. Sometimes, Jon wondered if the direwolf knew what was going on with Ygritte. The dog never seemed to leave her side for the past month.

If anything, it made Snow smile. Ghost would be protective of their baby when he was born, he could tell.

"Ghost." He whispers, earning the dog's attention. With his right hand patting the ground, he continues. "Come here."

The dog eagerly stands and flops down next to his master, placing his chin on Jon's thigh. It made the man chuckle before combing his fingers through the wolf's thick fur.

"Good boy." He says, scratching behind Ghost's ears. "Good boy."

Not much time had passed before Jon felt his lover stir and watched as she opened her eyes.

"You're awake early." He says, running a thumb over her knuckles above his left knee.

Initially, it takes her a minute to adjust before responding. She smirks are her sleeping arrangements. "You'll be the reason I die, Jon Snow…"

He chuckles, kissing the curve of her neck and shoulder. "Slept well?"

"Aye. I did." She looks over to see Ghost's nose touching her arm. Ygritte smiles and pets him on the head.

Jon touches their temples again.

"So, what's the plan?" Ygritte asks.

"If we start moving again soon, we should make it to White Harbor by midday."

—-

There is something about the way Arya walks and the expressions she wears that tell Jon she's really got her mind wrapped around something important. At first she purses her lips and then furrows her brows before sighing quietly and gnawing at her tongue.

He nudges her right arm as she walks next to him. "Arya? What's wrong?"

The young girl made a face. "I'm thinking about Winterfell…and how I'll be able to convince anyone to rebuild it."

"You are a Stark—"

"And I'm fourteen." She interrupts. "Who wants to listen to a child?"

Jon lets out a breath of air from his nose and smiles, grabbing Arya's left shoulder and pulling her against him. She stumbles for a second, surprised by the action but not angry. Arya is lucky her grip on the horse's reins didn't tug. Jon gently pats her on the arm and says, "You are the next heir. Others will attempt to mentor and manipulate you to make them your right-hand so they can taste the throne. But, your name holds great strength. I know Winterfell looks like rubble, but it was once a powerful city with many allies. You prove to one them that you are a Stark capable of upholding the city and they will remain loyal."

"What about the other houses who fell and never regained what they lost?"

"Don't worry about them. The Stark's allies won't renounce their loyalty until they have proof all of you are dead."

Arya wraps her arm around Jon's waist. "Who will support me when I tell them I'm capable?"

"The Wall."

"How?"

"Winterfell did always give them the most men."

—-

Ygritte often thinks about what her baby will look like. Each time he kicks, she wonders who's face she will see when he wiggles in her arms for the first time or what color of hair will slip through her fingers. She wonders if his eyes will be blue like hers or brown like Jon's. But, out of every idea and thought that flows through her imagination, she's never once shared any of them with her lover. Ygritte never pegged herself as a dreamer until she couldn't get her mind off what her child will look like. She knows pregnancy is changing her, making her soft. She was never afraid, never the type to flinch at any danger. And yet she spent days worrying over what Jon would think when she told him she was pregnant. She shouldnt've cared. She didn't want to care. But she did.

~F~

Damn him!_ She cursed, balling her hands into fists. _

_The thought of caring scared her. She was suddenly afraid of something so little that she almost cried. Was her mind turning into mush?_

_She knew she wasn__'__t sick from the baby. Her nausea had stemmed from the thought of Jon rejecting her situation and running away from fathering a bastard. The Free Folk never cared about who__'__s father was who since equality and freedom was all that concerned them, but she knew Jon Snow was traditional and being a bastard somehow made him weaker and lower than everyone else in Westeros. The Southerner__'__s stupid morals didn__'__t phase her, but what concerned Ygritte the most was that Jon tended to be rash and make stupid decisions. He__'__d bailed on her before. She couldn__'__t help but feel on edge for the dumbest things that she really shouldn__'__t stress over. She blocked out her heart the last time he left and she still wants to kill him for abandoning her. _

_And yet here she is, arms wrapped tightly around her torso as the man she _shouldn't _care about tended to the fire before them._

_Ygritte loves him, and she knows it makes her weak._

"_Are you cold?__"_

"_No.__" __She answers bitterly. She left her people for him. He left his people for her. They were both so stupid, she thinks._

"_Ygritte__…"_

_She stays silent, tightening her lips. _What if he leaves? Stop it! Stop thinking like that!

_She had only found out yesterday morning. The thought of it still turns her tongue sour._

_When he reaches for her hand, Ygritte swats his away and snaps. A pulse of adrenaline hits her like wildfire and her voice suddenly turns deep when she faces him._

"_You lied to me, Jon Snow. I knew you were always a crow, but I didn__'__t think you leave when you did.__"_

"_Ygritte__—"_

_She looks away. __"__For some stupid reason, I gave up my people for you and left behind the folk who raised me. How am I supposed to know you won__'__t leave again? How am I supposed to know that everything I gave up wasn__'__t just so you can run away from me and your kid?__"_

_The moment she says it, Ygritte freezes. _Shit. _She bites the inside of her cheek so hard she swears she tastes blood._

_Ygritte convinces herself that she doesn__'__t want to see the illustration on his face. Suddenly, she turns somber. The raging feeling of adrenaline passes quickly and is replaced with a thousand different emotions and she isn__'__t sure which one she wants to express._

~F~

If the past couple of months taught her anything, Ygritte had learned that opening her heart to Jon Snow again wasn't as frightening as she thought it was. Initially, she was afraid. But now, she knew that maybe for once in her life she had made the right choice.

She has a real family now, one that she will never turn her back on. Arya had mingled herself into the mix, a blessing she was to Jon Snow indeed. He loved his little sister dearly and Arya never seemed to look up at her brother with anything other than a glint in her eye.

Ygritte admired their relationship. She wondered if the other Starks had thought of him the same.

Her baby starts kicking again and she smiles, touching the spot where she feels his little movements.

Jon Snow sees the way Ygritte has fallen in love with their child and he reaches for one of her hands, a large grin plastered on his lips.

He twines their fingers together and says, "Motherhood suits you."

Ygritte smirks up at him. "Does it now?"

—-

Her face is priceless when she starts realizing that the guard towers of White Harbor are no windmill near the Wall.

"These are palaces?" She asks, cradling her belly because he has a feeling that the baby is just as excited.

"No. They're guard towers armed with men who protect the city."

Ygritte flashes him her signature grin and says, "Like you crows back on the Wall?"

Jon Snow nearly rolls his eyes.

Arya is also excited, walking ahead of the pair. She had heard many things about House Manderly's palace alongside the wavefront and couldn't wait to see something beautiful for once in the time she's been by herself.

They had been traveling on the real road ever since Jon Snow spotted the main entrance gates some time ago. Alongside them were other travelers, eager to enter the city prosperous with trade and merchant goods. Food was abundant in White Harbor, and nearly every other building was some sort of miniature eatery where tourists could find a decent meal. Jon was more than motivated to stop at one of those locations and eat food like he used to before the Battle of Castle Black. As much as he didn't mind consuming whatever Ygritte killed that day, he wasn't about to complain over some seasoning and vegetables on the side.

Arya was hungry, too. She started to babble about the fruits and miniature cakes bakeries and trade posts always sold. Ygritte hadn't a clue about anything the two siblings were discussing.

"Maybe they'll have lemon cakes!" The young girl beamed, glancing back at Jon. "Sansa made the best ones, but I'd never tell her that."

"You should've." Jon chuckles, ruffling Arya's hair as she slows down to catch up with him. "She's your sister."

Arya huffs, shaking her brown locks back into place. "Did you tell her?"

"Of course. You have to be nice sometimes." He messes with her hair again and Arya slaps his hand away.

"Hey! Stop that!"

Jon only laughs.

At this point, they are within five minutes on foot of the gates and Jon decides now is the best time to tell Arya to hide her money somewhere where thieves won't snatch it, and that she surrender the horse's reins to him. Ghost treads to his left, fur occasionally brushing up against Jon's trousers. He asks Ygritte to hold his little sister's hand and walk in front so that he knows no one will try to kidnap them.

"I can protect myself just fine, Jon Snow." She protests, but he won't have it.

"You don't know what these cities are like, Ygritte. We're not beyond the Wall and people _will_ try to take you."

"I'll just kill 'em, then."

"No, you…" he sighs, "you can't do that anymore."

"Why? What are they gonna do to me?" She challenges.

"They'll throw you in a dungeon and rape you as many times as they want to." His tone rises enough to make Ygritte stiffen the slightest, but she doesn't dare show it. "And _that_ is not punishable by death."

She stays silent, returning the fire in his brown irises with her own blue ones before pushing him aside and taking Arya's hand. She'd prove him wrong; Ygritte was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

He really hates being the enemy, but sometimes Jon Snow feels as though he doesn't have another choice.

—-

The influx of traders and barterers is nearly overwhelming. Hundreds of people line the road inside the city, holding out fish and other trading goods in their hands for everyone to see. They shout out prices and that negotiations can be made.

But that's not what makes Jon Snow's heart race.

An older woman with a basket of sliced bread loaves steps out in front of Ygritte. "Please," she catches the her attention, "for you." She places the basket in front of her.

Jon treads forward anxiously, intending to intervene, but the elder woman stops him and shakes her head. "Not for you." She turns to the wildling again. "For your children." The lady acknowledges Ygritte's left hand protecting her belly and the other holding onto Arya.

Ygritte doesn't know whether or not she should consider her offer, and the fact that this woman called Arya her daughter flew right over her head because this was the first time she had ever been presented with food knowing that she had done nothing for this woman which suggested she repay any thanks.

This was also her first time seeing bread.

Arya eagerly took a piece and gave the stranger her gratitude before splitting the lump in two, passing one to Ygritte who eyed it with curiosity.

Jon smiles, thanking the older woman as Arya had. She grins in return, slightly bowing her head. He encourages the group to start walking again as Arya says it's okay for Ygritte to eat the bread.

It was warm against her fingers and the texture is fluffy and lightweight. She tears off a little piece, noticing how easily it spread apart, and puts it in her mouth. It wasn't like it had a flavor that completely surprised her, but the bread's warmth made the item delicious.

"What is this?" She asks, taking another piece and tossing it in her mouth.

"Bread." Arya answers. "You can find it almost anywhere. It tastes better if you eat it with jam or some sort of spread."

"What's it made from?"

"Wheat grains."

There's a bakery nearby and Jon calls out their names. "Should we stop to eat?"

Arya's eyes grow wide. "Yes!"

They stop by the small business and ask about what the baker has to offer. He brings them a small loaf of bread and little circle of yellow cheese that didn't demand much coin. Jon hands Ygritte and Arya equal portions of bread and cheese, saving only a little for himself. He wasn't that hungry anyways.

Ygritte eyes the cheese just as curiously as she had the bread earlier and asks what it is.

"It's cheese made from goat's milk. Eat a little bit with your bread." Jon smiles, showing her how he does it. She mimics him and places the strange combination in her mouth. Almost instantly, her eyes sparkle.

"It's nice compared to only meat, isn't it?" He asks her, but Ygritte is too busy finishing the rest of her food to answer. Arya had already wolfed hers down like she always did.

Naturally, he chuckles and tosses half of what he has down to Ghost who snatches it with ease.

As they walked, Ygritte couldn't help but gaze with wonder at every food item she passed. She was immersed in all the new scents (given her senses had heightened) and she wanted to try everything she saw. Jon was eager to reach the castle by now so the dinner House Manderly would prepare could fulfill her desires. Wyman Manderly was a man so fat, he couldn't walk on his own. What better Lord could prepare the most delicate feast?

The citizens of White Harbor always teased him, but Lord Wyman is no fool. He is sharp, calculating, intelligent, and strictly loyal to House Stark. He had seen the Stark children before and would recognize Arya within a heartbeat. It had not been more than a few years since they last spoke.

When they reach the castle's front courtyard, Arya stiffens when she sees the guards.

"What if they don't recognize me?" She asks, letting go of Ygritte's hand and moving to wrap an arm around Jon Snow's left. Here it was safer. Perhaps not from thieves and kleptomaniacs, but the castle guards tend to persuade kidnappers to flee.

"The guards won't recognize you, but if you convince them well enough that you are Arya of House Stark, they will feel that we should be let in."

Arya purses her lips and sighs through her nose. "Okay. I'm ready. Not nervous at all."

Jon chuckles.

—-

"I apologize Mi'Lord," one of the castle guards comes rushing in. "But Arya Stark is here to see you. She came with guests."

Lord Manderly's eyes instantly widen and although he's too fat to sit up, he raises his voice. "Arya is alive? What are you waiting for? Bring her in! I'm sure she'll be glad to know Rickon Stark is nearly here!"

—-

Ygritte cannot stop staring. She's been staring ever since she first laid eyes on the small palace from afar. She couldn't believe that Winterfell was the same, except much larger; nearly twice the size of White Harbor. There wasn't one room in the Lord's palace where she could bump her head or cut her hand. Nothing smelled of meat or metal or wood and the walls were not constructed with tattered hides. Bricks, as Jon Snow called them, kept much of the cold away, but shutterless windows tended to welcome the chilly breeze and white snow. Her boots weren't soiled in the dirt, rather they stepped along wooden floors that maids attended to on their hands and knees. There were paintings mounted with nails where the corners of bricks met and she gazed upon the strange faces created on each canvas.

Arya sat against the wall on the floor near a window with Ghost's head in her lap. She occupied herself by combing her fingers through the direwolf's thick mane while Jon Snow had taken upon himself the task to teach Ygritte what he could about Lord's palaces while they waited for the guard to return.

"It's been a while since I've seen you this happy." Jon says, watching Ygritte as she walks towards the shelf of novels.

She briefly glances at him with a smirk before returning to the books. "What makes ya think that?" She opens the cover to a random page.

Jon Snow almost forgets Ygritte doesn't know how to interpret characters or symbols.

"I should teach you how to read." He says, wrapping an arm around his partner's waist.

Ygritte is mindlessly flipping through the pages, only pausing to examine the maps before moving on. Jon stops her when she lulls over the next chart. "That's the Wall." He points to the long stretch of black ink near the top of the page. "And above it is your land. The Fist of the First Men is here." He points to the small dot near the heart of the Haunted Forest. "That's where Mance is now."

"Your maps don't show much of our land, Jon Snow." Ygritte comments, leering at the page.

"No man who ever left for the North returned with a map of the rest of it."

"Aye." She responds, rolling her head upwards to look him in the eye before snapping the book shut. "It should stay that way."

He didn't have much time to react before the guard returned. Not that Jon would've done something anyway.

"Lord Manderly has requested that you all accompany me to His Lordship."

—-

"Gods, everyone thought you were dead!" Wyman Manderly shouts once they enter.

Arya purses her lips before speaking. "The world is full of liars and traitors, my lord." She grins, bowing before him.

He laughs loudly, patting his stomach. "Why, indeed it is." Wyman's attention then shifts to Jon Snow and he shouts the bastard's name with a grin before inclining his head to one side at the sight of the red-haired woman and House Stark's sigil standing on both sides of the younger man.

"Who's the girl?" He is blunt to point her out.

"My wife, my lord."

Lord Manderly's eyes widen once more before he laughs. "_I shall take no wife_… Why didn't they take your head, Snow?"

"I'm no deserter, my lord. My men had elected me to become the Lord-Commander of the Night's Watch after the Battle of Castle Black."

"And why did they let you go?"

"I didn't accept their offer."

Lord Manderly let another roar of laughter escape. "Boy, you won't inherit anything if you keep walking away from titles like those!"

Now, he turns to Ygritte. She is more than ready to confront a man so potbellied he cannot walk. Wyman Manderly may be a Lord, but he's nothing more than another fat man to her.

"What do they call you, girl?"

"Ygritte." She answers as if this is some sort of challenge. Her tone all but friendly: bitter and testing. "_My lord_."


	4. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ**

**Change of plot (kinda?)! I recently purchased the first book and am re-watching series. This has helped me to sort of realize several things that I honestly should incorporate in this story.**

**As I'm learning more about the characters and backstories, such as history and lores for the Game of Thrones, there are a couple changes I am going to make that you should expect in the next chapter :)**

**Jon Snow will now still be a part of the Night's Watch as he has always been ambitious and serious about his role on the Wall. I took that away from his character here and I really don't like that I did. He will stay as the newly elected Lord Commander and only temporarily left to visit Winterfell with the intention of letting Bran know that "winter is coming" 100%. Ygritte will be his "wildling companion" according to the Watch, but we all know the only other person who is aware of what's really going on between them is Arya. Ygritte is Jon's lover and soon-to-be mommy of his child; that's a secret.**

**Arya Stark's story won't change. She went to Winterfell with the hope of returning to Bran and Rickon in this story after Catelyn and Robb's deaths, thanks to Walder Frey. In the show (and most likely the books), she travels to Braavos, but I want to work around that.**

**The Night's Watch don't know about Jon and Ygritte; only Sam does, and we all know his philosophy on relationships and being a man of the Watch ;)**

**Jon Snow, Ygritte, and Arya Stark still travel to White Harbor with the intention of rebuilding Winterfell now that Arya is the new rightful heir.**

**The Night's Watch and the wildlings still hate each others guts, but as Mance Rayder always pledged: you need to unite everyone to fight against the White Walkers otherwise everyone will die. We don't know what happens in the show and I'm not that far in the books (only 22 pages into the first one ^.^), but I want to unite the Watch and wildlings so that they can fight against the White Walkers as one. They will train each other in respects to whatever will make everyone stronger.**

**I hope that clears things up! Makes more sense to me and won't go totally AU where there are no problems and Jon Snow gets away with everything. I want there to be drama, but smart drama. I'm dedicated to not deviating too much from a strong plot we have from the show and only tweaking a couple things because I can :)**

**And according to wildling culture, Jon Snow and Ygritte technically are married XD That's the best part and something I want to stay.**

**Oh yeah, forget that Jon told Wyman Manderly Ygritte was his wife! Now that I'm keeping him as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the couple has to keep that a secret. Arya knows but she's the only one. **

**Alrighty guys, that's it! Thank you for reading! **

**See you in Chapter 3! Love you guys!**

**- unanymousdeen**


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